DOLLS

Welcome to the world of Victoire Roux, Parisian fashion model and iconic muse

The war had taken its toll on everyone in Europe, except Victoire Roux. No matter what, she always made it a point to stand proud, never let herself go and always look her best to help boost everyone’s morale, even in the darkest hours of history. In other words, she resisted the invader with glamour and flair! Victoire Roux is the eponymous symbol of French pride, beauty and style. Through her classic look, sophisticated demeanor and impeccable manners, Victoire was destined to become a muse. The most sought-after model of the 1950s, timeless and iconic, Victoire’s career has set the path for today’s top models.

Masterpiece Dolls has offered limited-edition vinyl dolls by a variety of artists for 27 years, and the company shows no signs of slowing down, with up to a dozen new releases announced each quarter. The dolls are sculpted by a variety of talented and award-winning artists, and this issue of DOLLS introduces you to three of them:

The longest-running series in the history of Mattel’s Barbie brand, the Dolls of the World collection, saw some unexpected updates at the beginning of the year, but its heart remains in the same place. These are vinyl valentines to the girls of the world who love to play with and collect dolls along with showing national pride.

MasterPiece Dolls’ May collection made its debut on the company’s website May 4. MasterPiece introduces a new group of limited-edition dolls every three months. The 10 dolls in the new group range in height from 29 inches to 43 inches.

Don’t be afraid to chart your own path,” says Carol Roth, a hard-hitting business advisor, entrepreneur and author of The Entrepreneur Equation. Smart, savvy and sexy Roth, breaks the rules, makes her own and then unabashedly “walks the walk.”

Say the words “Integrity Toys,” and gorgeous and haute glamour girls as depicted by the likes of the company’s AvantGuard and Fashion Royalty brands come to mind. Cutting-edge fashions, daring face-ups and hairstyles, to-die-for heels that ooze sexiness—these are a few of the ingredients Integrity Toys collectors have come to crave and expect from the design team led by fashion design superstar Jason Wu.

DOLLS magazine has recognized the legen­dary Helen Kish this year with its 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award. The Gala Awards Breakfast, where Kish was honored, was held Oct. 2, 2010, in Winston-Salem, N.C. at the 2010 Doll Teddy & Bear EXPO. Kish, with more than 30 years of dedication to the craft, astonishing genius as an artist and major success to her credit, was without a doubt the ideal pick for this year’s winner.

One of the most exciting aspects of being a doll collector is that owning a doll can help you escape your daily woes, your everyday travails. Less costly than an airplane ticket, easier to book than a cruise, a doll is a vehicle for transporting us to different mind frames and unfamiliar terrain.

When “Gene Marshall” made her debut in 1995, it sent shock waves through the doll-collecting community. Her ascendancy from “obscurity” to “mega stardom” was akin to the breakout screen roles that launched Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren or Audrey Hepburn from mere film supporting-player to gold-plated superstar. It was an unveiling that trumpeted a message, loud and clear, through the ranks of adult aficionados: Here was a doll that was designed to be unboxed, undressed and unleashed. It was a revolutionary concept, and the doll world has never been the same.

DOLLS writer and photographer Chris Varaste visited Mattel headquarters in El Segundo, Calif. He met with Mattel designer Bill Greening and Melissa Terrick in marketing to talk about the brilliant new line, Barbie Basics. Without further ado, we bring you the special interview the three conducted among themselves.